Not just for cuddling anymore!New mothers of the world, gather 'round. Do you realize what you have now? Yeah, yeah, it's ababy. But that's not all! You now have a ready-madeexcuse to get out of pretty much everything!

A few of my friends have even admitted that this is the very best reason to have kids! While they were joking (I think), I don't think it's a stretch to say it's one of the perks of parenthood. Behold all that you can avoid now that you have a baby!

1.Your niece's boring ballet recital:Ooh, I'm sorry, but the baby has colic, and I wouldn't want her curdling screams to throw one of the dancers off. (And really, it's not like the 4-year-old is playing Odette or Clara anyway.)

2.Your in-laws' awful anniversary party:I'm breastfeeding, and wouldn't you know it, this little bugger STILL won't take a bottle? (And OK, all you really wanted to do was sit home and catch up onCriminal Mindson the DVR ... Shemar Moore, yummmm.)

3.Cleaning the house:I'd vacuum, but then the baby starts crying, and I have to run right to her. (Who needs to know it was a mess before you had kids?)

4.Laundry:Oooh, yeah, sorry about the giant stain on my shoulder. The baby just barfed on this shirt (not to mention you never got around to actually washing clothes this week).

5.Brushing your hair:Yup, it's in a ponytail again because if I leave it down, the baby just yanks on it anyway (ahem, and you haven't actually washed it in a week).

6.Happy hour with your boss:What's that? Oh, no, I can't stay late tonight; the sitter issuuucha stickler about picking up the baby on time (and really, who wants to drink with the boss anyway?).

7.Watch cartoons:Yes, you caught me watchingYo GabbaGabba; I'm just previewing to decide what I'll let the baby watch when she's old enough (and OK, the Ting Tings were on, and I really LIKE the Ting Tings).

All right, truth time! What do you use the baby as an excuse for? Spill so we can take advantage too!

I tried to use the cleaning thing. Sorry the table has stuff on it because when we got home i put it there fast so i could feed the baby. But my mom always says you have no excuse and need to have your house 100% clean. Well excuse me mom i have a 1 yo and a 5 week old to take care of.

I tried to use the cleaning thing. Sorry the table has stuff on it because when we got home i put it there fast so i could feed the baby. But my mom always says you have no excuse and need to have your house 100% clean. Well excuse me mom i have a 1 yo and a 5 week old to take care of.

A 1 year old AND 5 week old??! U have an excuse to have a messy house for at LEAST the next few years to come! thats ridiculous to expect it to be spotless even with just a 1 year old. My little guy is 18 months and it hasnt been that way since before he was born!

I have a 6 ,5,2 1/2 year old and our most recent addition 17 days old and post c section.. my house is spotless 75% of the time because I fear my mothers mouth lol ! Plus I'm slightly OCD ! My moms the sane way! " youre a stay at home mom, your house should always be clean. " I told her off the other day. I said forgive me for picking up a crayon to play with my kids instead of a mop!.. oh and I forgot , no rest for the c section patient!"...

Quoting MichaelsMom0711:

Quoting sissy852:

I tried to use the cleaning thing. Sorry the table has stuff on it because when we got home i put it there fast so i could feed the baby. But my mom always says you have no excuse and need to have your house 100% clean. Well excuse me mom i have a 1 yo and a 5 week old to take care of.

A 1 year old AND 5 week old??! U have an excuse to have a messy house for at LEAST the next few years to come! thats ridiculous to expect it to be spotless even with just a 1 year old. My little guy is 18 months and it hasnt been that way since before he was born!

WHAT!!?? NO! U have to take it easy after a c-section! And with all the other kids too!! Ur mom of all people should be concerned about that over a clean house. Im lucky there, my mom is like me with cleaning, obviously we keep things actually clean but picking up toys or doing a dish every 5 mins or laundry every day is a waste of free time! If I have a c-section my "8 week recovery" would be more like 4-6 months of doing nothing. I tell my SO that my Dr says its not good for pregnant women to sweep, mop, clean the tub or toilets because of the strain on the abdominal muscles! He believes it cuz it sounds like it could make sense, so hes been doing all that since i found out im pregnant again! then after we had my son i said its still dangerous till im fully healed so it was at least a year pass from doing that stuff!

My parents tried telling me that after my second c section, I told them if you think my house is so horrible then you guys get your asses over here and clean it. I had only been home from the hospital for 2 days so 5 days after my c-section they thought that was enough time to recover. Yet my cousin had a vag delivery and she didn't leave her bed for 40 days and nights, people went over to her house to take her food and do her chores and take care of the baby..

Quoting sissy852:

I tried to use the cleaning thing. Sorry the table has stuff on it because when we got home i put it there fast so i could feed the baby. But my mom always says you have no excuse and need to have your house 100% clean. Well excuse me mom i have a 1 yo and a 5 week old to take care of.

My moms a pain in the a$$ and we don't see eye to eye lately so I'd expect nothing less from her. It drives dh nuts because while he's at work he thinks I " take it easy" so he's pissed when he comes home and finds me doing laundry or scrubbing floors ... I know I shouldn't be But my mom has made me feel that insecure that I feel I should always be doing something!

Quoting MichaelsMom0711:

Quoting nikkifam5:

WHAT!!?? NO! U have to take it easy after a c-section! And with all the other kids too!! Ur mom of all people should be concerned about that over a clean house. Im lucky there, my mom is like me with cleaning, obviously we keep things actually clean but picking up toys or doing a dish every 5 mins or laundry every day is a waste of free time! If I have a c-section my "8 week recovery" would be more like 4-6 months of doing nothing. I tell my SO that my Dr says its not good for pregnant women to sweep, mop, clean the tub or toilets because of the strain on the abdominal muscles! He believes it cuz it sounds like it could make sense, so hes been doing all that since i found out im pregnant again! then after we had my son i said its still dangerous till im fully healed so it was at least a year pass from doing that stuff!